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The new home-and-away format that will serve as the qualifiers for the 2019 FIBA World Cup has been a much talked-about topic since the federation announced the changes last year. There have been mixed reactions, as it will hinder some countries’ best players from competing, including those playing in the NBA since its calendar will coincide with the new schedule.
San Antonio Spurs assistant, who's also the Italian National Team head coach, Ettore Messina is the latest member of the basketball community to make his thoughts known publicly about the format. He was not shy to blast FIBA and added that he thinks it is unfair that the members of a team who made it possible for their home countries to make it to the World Cup will be replaced by the first-choice players since they will be available to compete by then.
Article Continues Below“I am not happy. I am enjoying my team. I am enjoying this group of people. According to the political situation, if you work in the NBA or in the EuroLeague you are out of the National Team competition. I read what coach Obradovic said, I read Jasikevicius, both coaches and players think the same thing but there are not coaches and players in the rooms where decisions are taken. I will support Italy watching the games on television. I would use harsher words on this but what do you want me to say? It is even more humiliating for these federations to be in the situation where they will ask a group of players that qualified and then they will tell them “thank you. Somebody else who is supposed to be better than you is going to be in the competition”. That’s a humiliation. For players is humiliation. You are playing for your country, you achieve a qualification and then 12 players better then you come in and play the main competition. It is a never-ending story. I am just curious to see what the next step will be. Of this brilliant brain contest we are watching in the last two years. I am curious to see who is going to be the brain contest winner.”
Ettore Messina does make some valid points and he could share the same thoughts as other participating countries in the new format. It will not be the best lineups for most teams, which defeats the purpose of having home-and-away games. However, on FIBA’s end, they changed the previous format to eliminate the elements of lack of rest and new surroundings, in order to bring out the best from all competitors.
The topic is expected be a controversial one, and Messina may not be the last to make fiery comments against it. However, FIBA is already set with its schedule and logistics, and by the looks of it, it’s all systems go now. But if, in any case, it will cause more concerns, the format could be changed after the 2019 championships.
